Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has shared an amusing anecdote about a remarkable experience with Max Verstappen, illustrating the difference between a retired driver and a current world champion. “And then Max drove one lap, and I was five seconds slower,” he said.
The thirteen-time Grand Prix winner revealed on the Indo Sport podcast that he drove a 2011 Red Bull RB7 at Imola in 2023, the car in which Sebastian Vettel became world champion. After one timed lap, Verstappen took the wheel. The difference was significant. “And then Max drove one lap, and I turned out to be five seconds slower,” Coulthard said.
The Scot emphasized that he was satisfied with his own performance, considering he hadn’t driven at race pace in an F1 car for quite some time. According to Coulthard, the large difference demonstrates the exceptional level of the current generation of drivers. “It’s like having Björn Borg play against Novak Djokovic now. Would Borg score a point? Probably not. The sport is constantly evolving,” he said.
Coulthard also discussed the physical demands of Formula 1. Since his retirement in 2008, his neck circumference has decreased by more than five centimeters. “That’s pure muscle mass that’s disappeared. The current drivers have huge neck muscles to withstand the G-forces. My neck muscles were just as developed back then, but that’s gone now,” he said.
